


[umbrella]

by nokkta



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cute, F/M, Family Fluff, Romance, Step-siblings, soft angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29605626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nokkta/pseuds/nokkta
Summary: Nari's life takes a turn when her father finally proposes to the woman that made his heart beat again, ready to start a new chapter together.Moving from Osaka to Miyagi didn't seem like such a big deal to her, and it wasn't, but getting along with her new younger brother and starting her second year in high school proved to be trickier than she initially thought it would be.
Kudos: 3





	1. cream colored house

**⁰¹**

────────────

**ᴏɴᴇ**

  
  
  
  
  


Nari’s pencil glided through the craft-like paper without stopping. Line after line, little thought was being invested in the actual outcome of her traces. She trusted her memory and waited to contemplate the results of her nightly routine.

Some of the details were missing, but at least she got to record the important and general things of what she had been itching all day to draw. She would’ve swept her sketchbook out right at the dinner table, but she had learned years ago that people tended to not like those kinds of actions—and besides, her dad said it was disrespectful—, so she pursed her lips and listened to the conversations her dad and Aiko were having, occasionally piping a comment or two.

Tsukishima Aiko, her dad’s soon-to-be wife, beamed at her each time she decided to participate, so Nari thought it was a successful first dinner at her new home. 

Her dad and she had arrived at the Tsukishima household that same afternoon, with all their belongings and freshly changed names. The  _ Aihara’s _ were officially lost (Nari wasn’t counting all the other possible existing Aihara’s in Japan, but rather her family bloodline) but, luckily,  _ Tsukishima Nari _ didn’t sound too bad. She could get used to it with some time. She  _ had  _ to _. _

The girl sighed and glanced around the room, pouting at the boxes she had to unpack, and turned back to her sketchbook, flipping the pages to revise the drawings of the day.

A cream-colored, two-stories, traditional-looking house was the first one she stopped at. It was done with pastels, and the material was already smudging slightly at the edges and sticking that beige color to the previous page. Nari rubbed a few stray spots here and there, but quickly gave up and focused on what she liked about her messy replica of the Tsukishima’s house, like the texture and color she had managed to create with the pastels, a medium she was not used to.

  
  
  


_ (Cream Colored House; New Beginnings) _

  
  
  


Her dad had excitedly pointed to her which one was going to be their new living space, and Nari had to admit that it was quite nice, considering it had a nice backyard and it was within walking distance from the high school, as well as the convenience store. Way more spacious than their old apartment in the middle of Osaka.

She wasn’t particularly upset about the move, so the change was rather welcome, and it took her no time to like the house.

Aiko was her second drawing, this time a light, pencil sketch sitting nicely on the page—her portraits were always on pencil—smiling candidly to her. It wasn’t entirely realistic, but anyone that knew the middle-aged woman could easily pinpoint the similarities. Or at least Nari hoped so, not many people got to see her work.

Soft features, light hair, and warm aura were the first things she had noticed about Aiko when she sprinted out of the  _ Cream Colored House  _ and hugged her dad with such a strength that he had to bend down to return the affection. 

She was small, smaller than her—her dad’s genes already made her taller than the average girl her age, and now she looked extra tall—but her presence was that of a strong-willed mother, like those bears that fought with claws and teeth for their cubs on documentaries; she was that small piece that Nari had been missing all her life.

“Nari-chan, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, pulling her in for a hug. Warmth ran through Nari’s body, and she heard her dad laugh at her surprised face, not knowing what to do with the woman cocooned between her arms. 

It was such a strange feeling. She had talked to the woman before. They had phone call conversations and even texted, but they hadn’t seen each other until now, even after almost four years since she started a relationship with her father, and all because he wanted to  _ «keep the surprise for the big day».  _ It was a stupid arrangement to Nari, and now it had her feeling all tingly and strange.

  
  
  


_ (Heart of Gold, Hugs of Light) _

  
  
  


She ended up hugging Aiko back for two or three seconds before being dragged to the house, her dad taking care of their luggage as per Aiko’s light-hearted request. What Nari thought was going to be a tour of her new surroundings ended up straight in her designated bedroom. Aiko mentioned her oldest son’s bedroom was diagonal to hers, while her youngest son resided right next to her.

The eldest, Akiteru, had occupied the third page, more abstract and disconnected strokes composing his portrait, as easy going and relaxed as she had first encountered him inside her bedroom. He had been cleaning the balcony windows when Aiko announced their arrival. Nari couldn’t deny that she spent a good amount of time trying to pick a specific color for his hair, settling for a  _ dark warm blond _ when seconds passed and she still hadn’t greeted him.

He was as excited as his mother and was quick to brush off any type of formalities between them, a dreamy tone declaring that he finally had a little sister. Akiteru had insisted on being called  _ Aki  _ and added that, when she felt comfortable, she could refer to him as her  _ older brother _ in the form she preferred. Nari thought ' _ Aniki'  _ conveyed both of his requests, as well as avoided the embarrassment and extreme cringe produced by any of the  _ ‘onii-’  _ derivatives. She probably was not going to step near that line.

  
  
  


_ (Untitled) _

  
  
  


She felt like she couldn't describe him yet. Her image of him was clear, but the world inside him wasn't as exposed as Aiko's, and Nari found herself being unable to find a proper word to put into the brackets. 

Akiteru eagerly offered to help her dad with the luggage when she made a move to leave, and Nari tried to keep up with Aiko’s conversation once he was gone. He soon returned with a backpack and a large brown package similar to a big envelope. Nari grabbed the package first, laying it softly on the floor against her desk.

“What is that?” asked the male, eyes curiously trailing up and down the object, as if that would give him the answer he was looking for.

Nari rubbed her hands and played with her ear-piercings, “Just some canvases,” was all she said before her dad huffed into the room, dropping most of the boxes on top of the bed. Aiko sighed and, after smiling one last time at Nari, she dragged both males out of the room to give Nari space and time to try and organize her things.

Nari sat on her bed once she found herself alone, the door closed and lights turned off. The sun was starting to set, orange streaks of color sneaking in through the balcony windows. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly taking in the situation.

Everything around her was new, and she had to get used to it before school started, or at least within a shorter period. Trying to get a hold of her fresh familiar situation  _ and  _ the beginning of her second year in high school would surely drain the already crumbling amount of energy she had. She sighed and opened her eyes, turning her head to peak at the sky.

At least that hadn’t changed. The sky, the trees, the flowers, the colors; she could still paint all those things that made her feel less out of place, all those things that reminded her that she was still on Earth, with her father, and that’s what really mattered. Her father looked happy, and she would gladly contribute and fuel that feeling she thought the man had lost long ago.

Standing up, Nari walked towards the windows, opening one of them to step outside. The fresh, flowery spring air made her sigh again, this time with content. The balcony had considerable size, and even had space for her to pull out a chair or even a small couch of some sort, along with her easel to paint outside once in a while. To her right, a small wall separated her side of the balcony from the room beside hers, meaning the younger Tsukishima’s territory. The wall barely reached her mid-ribs. 

The curtains blocked the inside of his room, and she guessed they would have to get used to seeing each other through their windows if one of them was on their balcony.

She rested her forearms on top of the railing, surveying the house in front of her. Her view only consisted of a similar big window like hers, minus the balcony, and a rather plain-looking wall, a few vines, and plants climbing from the sides. The curtains were also drawn, leaving Nari with nothing interesting to stare at besides the setting sun and the ever-changing colors of the sky. 

The clouds were starting to disappear between yellow and orange lights, announcing a clear starry sky for her first night in Miyagi. She smiled subtly and heard a knock on her door.

Her father popped his head into the room when she turned around, the place much darker now that the day was coming to an end. He smiled and opened the door a bit more, resting his shoulder on its frame, eyes quickly scanning the mess of boxes.

“You didn’t unpack at all,” he said, smirking. Nari stepped closer, imitating his pose at the frame of the window. 

“Too lazy, I’ll do it tomorrow,”

Junichi laughed under his breath and shook his head. “Not surprised,” he commented and stood straight again, a hand on top of the doorknob. “Come down, Kei-kun is here and we’re discussin’ dinner plans,”

“We’re goin’ out?” Nari asked, brows furrowed in confusion while she paused in the middle of the room, waiting for the answer to see if she had to get changed or not. Junichi shook his head.

“We’re not. Aiko’s excited and wants to nail our first dinner.”

Nari nodded, her lips pursing slightly at the thought of Aiko overworking herself just for the sake of some dinner. She followed her dad trying to push the thoughts away, focusing on her upcoming meeting with the last member of the family.

Once down, all she could hear was Aiko’s voice throwing food names at the air, soft hums seemingly being the only responses she was getting. Akiteru was bright and would gladly engage in any type of chat, or at least that’s what she could tell from their brief encounter so, what was holding his tongue so much if he was indeed in the kitchen too?

Nari reminded herself that she might have had the wrong impression and that, maybe, he wasn’t all that bubbly, but she got her answer as soon as his father opened the kitchen door.

Akiteru was leaning against the counter, Aiko next to him, his eyes focused on the floor right beneath his feet, nodding to whatever his mother was offering to cook. On the opposite side, sitting at the far corner of the table, was a tall boy, hand on his chin and bored eyes trailing on the woody-surface of the table. Nari’s mind raced to pick a color for his hair, as it did with Akiteru, though this time the answer was much simpler. A nice, soft blond tone of short yet kind of messy strands of hair were the first things she drew that night.

Tsukishima Kei, her third and last portrait. Fine strokes around the edges, dark colors for his black-rimmed glasses, and a rich, honey color for the impassive eyes behind them, those that had stared at her from the table, clearly not too happy about her presence.

  
  
  


_ (Cold, Honey Eyes) _

  
  
  


The boy’s wrist slipped from under his chin when his mother turned around and presented them with a smile, hands on his shoulders. He nodded quietly. Aiko had already said his name, so he didn’t need to speak up. Nari kept her nervous gaze on him, like he was doing, and returned the head nod.

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Nari,”

And everyone went back to dinner plans, seeing as she was not going to get a response out of him.

In the end, Aiko made a variety of dishes after being unable to decide which one they would like or enjoy the most. Nari stood away from the pork and cucumbers she could see and reluctantly announced her inability to enjoy said foods when her dad smirked at her and poked her side with his elbow, silently provoking her to talk. She had tried multiple times to eat such popular dishes, and she felt strangely embarrassed to admit she couldn’t force herself to like them. Aiko only laughed alongside Akiteru and pushed the salad bowl and fried chicken towards her.

The youngest on the table didn’t talk for the most part, and only nodded to Nari in quiet thanks when she caught him eyeing the fried chicken and she pushed the plate closer to him. After that brief interaction, the conversations flowed between the adults until the end of the dinner.

The blond brothers and Nari cleared the table and washed the dishes, silently agreeing to do the job while their parents engaged in a seemingly entertaining chat. Aiko and Jun giggled like high schoolers, and Nari couldn’t help the smile that crawled its way to her lips, contrary to the weird twist taking place on her stomach.

She didn’t know what had happened to the father of the Tsukishima household, but neither of the boys near her gave off the same awkward feeling she felt oozing out of her crooked, small smile. Akiteru hummed happily while carrying plates and glasses from the table to the kitchen counter, and Kei meticulously dried the silverware Nari passed to him after washing them. Nari was not uncomfortable in such a situation, but she was not feeling so at ease.

She sighed quietly.

It would take a while for her to get used to the family dynamic, after all.

With a final stroke, Nari finished Kei’s portrait and closed her sketchbook for the night. There was no need of an early rising the next day, but Nari was not one to sleep much anyway.

She made her way to her desk and left her art supplies on top, avoiding boxes on her way back to bed. She would have to unpack on her remaining free week if she didn’t want dust to pile up everywhere. Her nose scrunched up at the thought as she covered herself with thin sheets, eyes trailing all over the ceiling as if searching for sleep. 

She didn’t find it.

  
  
  
  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed your time here and come back for more.  
> I'd love to read your opinions or anything you have to say, so don't hesitate to comment and engage with me :) 
> 
> Thank you for every single Kudo, hit, and bookmark, I really appreciate it.
> 
> Until the next chapter!


	2. eggshells

**⁰²**

**────────────**

**ᴛᴡᴏ**

  
  
  
  
  


As Nari had expected, she was only able to briefly close her eyes that night. 

Sleep was not a consistent occurrence on Nari’s nights. She didn’t remember since when, but that fact only told her she had had trouble sleeping for a long time. Her waking hours were usually spent painting sudden bursts of inspiration, doing as much homework as she could, or starting on house chores. Junichi was always either knocked out or long gone for work, so she didn’t have to worry about waking people up.

She lightly pursed her lips when Aiko asked about her night that morning, nervously sipping from the cup of coffee she had been given. Akiteru was too sleepy to glance at her.

She wasn’t sure it was a good idea to tell Aiko that she had been awake since the crack of dawn. Three hours of sleep had managed to make their way into her system, but her already messed up internal clock had her staring at the ceiling before five in the morning. Her first instinct would have been getting up to do something, but the still unfamiliar surroundings were taking a bigger toll on her than she had originally thought.

Nari didn’t know anyone’s schedules or habits, but she was pretty sure none of the other residents were going to get up at five-thirty on a holiday week, so all she could do was start to organize her many boxes as quietly as possible. Her plan was to wait until steps could be heard outside, or someone’s door opened.

For some reason, the sole thought of bumping into Akiteru or Kei while roaming the house increased the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had only been a day since her arrival at the Cream Colored House, and even if her dad was already—somewhat—comfortable thanks to Aiko, it would surely take a long time for Nari to feel at home. Walking around a stranger’s house was extremely embarrassing.

The clock had stricken nine-fifteen when she felt it was safe to go down the stairs.

“Yes, I had a pretty good night,” was all she could say in the end.

Aiko smiled, satisfied by Nari’s ambiguous answer, and turned around after asking what she wanted to eat. Nari  _ did  _ have a good night since she got to do a lot of cleaning, so she was not lying. She just didn’t get a healthy amount of sleep.

The three of them had breakfast in peace, Akiteru complaining about his early classes—it seemed like the university had started that same week—and incoming job. Nari’s thoughts got stuck on the need to get a job for art supplies and personal purchases when Kei waltzed into the kitchen around an hour later, Jun following behind. 

Nari’s dad smiled lazily, a hand messing his own hair, and kissed Aiko on the forehead—as well as Nari—before finally taking a seat and starting a casual chit-chat with Akiteru. Junichi was not a morning person, and the same seemed to apply to the older brother, their conversation quite dragged and lacking a lot of sense.

Nari laughed and sipped her second coffee cup, greeting Kei when their eyes met. He mumbled a ‘good morning’ back and focused on his bowl of rice while the girl finished her toasts.

Kei glanced at his brother and the black-haired adult for a second, then went back to his business. The tall blond had bumped into Jun just after getting out of the bathroom, the visibly tired yet cheery man greeting him with warmth. His father had always been an early bird and not nearly as affectionate as this man. 

They had already met him a couple of times when his mother had finally felt comfortable and safe enough in their relationship to introduce them, unlike his daughter—though Junichi had a tendency to talk a lot about Nari—, and the man had been caring and bright since the beginning. Kei more often than not felt aversion toward hype and cheery people, but this one made her mother happier than he had ever seen her, and that was enough to make Jun a lot more tolerable.

Seeing him first thing in the morning had been both weird and able to bring him back to reality once they entered the kitchen, Nari comfortably having breakfast with his brother.

Well, he guessed it was her brother now too.

Akiteru seemed excited about the idea as well, even if Kei made a habit of reminding him that nothing was official until the wedding. He hadn’t counted on Junichi and his daughter changing their family names so soon before the ceremony—and to  _ theirs— _ but he had to admit he was relieved he didn’t have to go through all that trouble when he was about to start high school. 

He had stopped to think how Nari would be feeling about it since she was the one that had to actually make all the changes in her life, but the mere two thoughts he spent on it only served to diminish his cold attitude towards her. He didn’t know nor cared enough about her to be so openly welcoming and nice, but he could try to  _ not  _ be too much of an asshole for once.

They would be sharing a roof after all.

Aiko finally settled down, taking a seat beside Kei and glancing up and down at him. Kei waited for her to say something first.

“Are you going out?” she asked, sipping on her tea. She smiled at Nari’s unsuspecting form as the girl cupped her cheek with one of her hands, the soft skin reddening due to the steam coming out of her mug, and then turned back to Kei.

He had been eyeing Nari too, getting the feeling that his mother wanted him to involve himself with the girl in some kind of way. He blinked down at his breakfast and nodded once.

“Yeah. I’m meeting up with Yamaguchi,” he said and added their plans to avoid too much asking and more attention being drawn to him, “we’re just going to buy some stuff for school.”

Aiko smiled and opened her mouth, ready to either ask about Yamaguchi or to add requests on top of his plans. Kei’s suspicious feeling grew, but he listened nonetheless.

“Great! can you walk Nari-chan to the store when you leave?”

“Huh?”

Both blondes turned their attention to Nari once she caught onto what Aiko was asking, surprised that it included her  _ and _ Kei. Aiko chuckled and leaned forward on her elbows, the cup of tea between her hands.

“Do you mind buying some bread, Nari-chan?” she asked sweetly, “It’ll be good for you to go around the neighborhood for a bit. Get familiar with it.”

By Nari’s blinking face and his mother’s sugary tone, Kei knew there was no possible way for her to refuse. Even he would have said yes if he was in her shoes. Saying no to an adult’s kind petition, even more so when it was said to be for your benefit, was a difficult task. There was no room for him to argue either.

Nari smiled sheepishly, softly, licking her lips before talking.

“Yeah, of course. Sounds nice.”

If Kei had to guide himself just by Nari’s expression, he would say she was definitely lying, and that’s what he thought, but her words came out so naturally, calm and warm that he had to stop overthinking that simple sentence before his judgment went astray. Kei wasn't sure if he could treat or see her as a sister anytime soon, if not ever, but doubting the truthfulness of her personality and actions would only make it harder for the both of them to maintain a neutral and pacific relationship.

He looked away. He didn’t need drama at his own house.

In the end, both teenagers agreed to make each other company through the short trek to the grocery store. Nari would remember her way back home since it was an easy path to follow, and Kei would meet up with his friend, minding his own shopping for as long as it lasted. There was no need for hostility or useless fake friendliness.

Kei could tell Nari wanted to, at least, make the effort to get along, and she had caught on quickly with his personality, assuming he’d rather keep the conversation to a bare minimum. Of all the teenage girls he could have gotten as a future step-sister, he was glad it was Nari and she had enough brain cells to take a hint and not force a bond on him.

Nari, of course, knew that, despite wanting to get on Kei’s good side, they had been passively forced to spend time alone, and the situation itself did not provide a comfortable enough ambiance to properly talk to each other. It would only come out as forced and stiff, and Nari was already a bad small talker.

She rushed upstairs once her cup was empty, aware that Kei was ready to go as soon as he finished his own breakfast. According to Aiko, he and his friend usually met up early, since they lived nearby and liked to do their own separate things during the rest of the day. Nari wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with that information, but taking in Kei’s furrowed brow at his mother’s random fact, she simply smiled and left the kitchen to change clothes after a quiet “I see.”

Before the door closed behind her, she could hear Kei’s nonchalant voice, apparently announcing aloud that his friend—Yamaguchi, was it?—would meet them outside the store she needed to go to in half an hour. Nari smiled climbing up the stairs, wishfully thinking that the information was meant to be an off-handed reminder of the time she had left to prepare.

Not that she needed too much, as the store was not supposed to be far, and she only had to worry about remembering the way back home and buying the right things. She changed her pajamas for sweatpants and a hoodie and trotted down the stairs after washing her face and brushing her teeth.

Akiteru seemed to have finished his slow-paced breakfast as well but chose to spare his last minutes before leaving sitting down and chatting away with Jun, who had partially forgotten his own food. Aiko stood up and handed her a small piece of paper with roughly five items listed on it and enough money to spend on them. By the time the woman had finished reassuring Nari that she could buy something for herself and take all the time she wanted looking around the neighborhood, Kei had made his way to the main door, slowly putting his shoes on. 

He bid his goodbye to Aiko and waited for Nari with one hand on the door’s handle and the other holding his phone, checking it from time to time. She rushed to his side, not sure if he was annoyed or his face simply displayed boredom at any given time.

“Have a safe trip!” Jun piped in from the kitchen, Akiteru humming along.

And they were out.

Nari took a deep breath of fresh morning air, enjoying the slightly cool feeling and swallowing the cough that threatened to crawl up her throat. She cleared it a few times and glanced up for a moment.

For some reason, the sky looked bluer in Miyagi.

Nari trotted to catch up to the blond, who had already walked out of the house’s front yard. She was glad she had long legs to keep up with his pace that, even if it wasn’t really fast, would take a toll on someone of considerably shorter stature. 

The boy had white headphones on, the ear on Nari’s side uncovered by the plushy material on the headset. She hid a smile while following his gaze to the path in front of them, wondering if he had decided to appear only mildly rude and not walk full-on ignoring her. He had a complicated mindset, but Nari found it oddly amusing.

Her head soon started wandering around, remembering that she had to go back alone and potentially make multiple trips to the store in the future. They turned left on the corner their house was at, and Nari recognized the building right next to it, the one facing her room’s balcony. It looked old from the outside, and it turned out to have a shop on its lower floor. She couldn’t properly see what it sold, but curiosity had her wanting to visit as soon as she had the time.

Neither she nor Kei opened their mouths during the two or three streets they walked through, Kei’s music loud enough for Nari to hear the tones but not to distinguish anything to determine which songs they were or which genre he listened to. It filled the emptiness of their communication, so she didn’t complain. Her attention was focused on all the new things she had to start to get familiar with. 

Before she knew it, a medium-sized, white supermarket entered their view, a couple of early clients going in and out. It  _ really  _ was pretty close.

“Tsukki!”

Her eyes fell back on track at the sudden voice, finding Kei already walking ahead of her, a boy waiting for him near the entrance of the store. The boy waved with a smile, and Nari had the impulse to smile back, even if the gesture was not meant for her. 

She followed the blond, keeping her distance in case the boys were or wanted to talk about something out of her concerns. She was already delaying their outing by making Kei accompany her—even if it was not her decision—, she didn’t want to interrupt anything else.

Kei said something too quietly for Nari to hear, but the boy turned his head in her direction with curiosity—or surprise—, and Nari supposed he had warned him about her presence. She nodded her head once she was close enough, smiling softly at him. He stared for a bit before Kei made a sound. The boy glanced at his friend and then at Nari again, hurriedly bowing.

“Ah, hello, I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. Nice to meet you.”

Nari bowed in response, his nervousness sticking to her for a few seconds.

“Nice to meet ya. I’m Nari,” she paused, Kei glancing at her. She looked conflicted, but it was quickly blinked away, another soft smile taking its place, “Tsukishima Nari,” She finally said, and Kei looked away. He was still trying to not dig too much into her actions, but he was sure even Yamaguchi could hear the doubt in her voice. 

She was walking on eggshells. 

  
  
  
  


__

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. the beginning

**⁰³**

────────────

**ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ**

  
  
  
  
  
  


A week had never been so short for Nari before. 

After her trip to get some groceries—which, thankfully, was a success—the days prior to the start of high school had gone by in a flash. A heavy flash, if she had to describe it. 

Nari wasn't particularly nervous about school, since it was her second year, but she had never been  _ the new  _ one, and pairing the uncertainty of it all with her wobbling relationship with Kei—the only known one attending the same school—had her feelings mixed and messed up. 

Her sketchbook had a couple of tangled yarn threads doodles here and there.

Akiteru and Aiko were increasingly pouring all their love on her and Jun and, even if she felt a bit awkward most of the time, it was a nice change receiving so much unconditional care. It was taking a while for Nari to remember that she didn't have to do most of the house chores herself, but she did them anyway, an uncomfortable feeling settling inside her every time Aiko seemed to teleport from one side to the other doing thousands of things at once. 

She took some scoldings for her over-independent actions, but in the end, Aiko gladly accepted the extra help. 

Junichi had started working mid-way through the week, spending most of his time out of the house, so Nari had to force herself to spend some time with the ones left in it. Aiko had a few days left until her holidays finished, so both of them had quite a lot of time to talk. 

Akiteru piped in when his classes were over and soon retired to his room for early nights after getting some food into his visibly tired self, but he always had something new to say to Nari, along with promises of lots of fun during weekends. Nari only nodded with a smile, surprised that he had the time to think about something like that. 

Kei, on the other hand, seemed to make as many plans as he could with his friend, barely crossing paths with her outside of breakfast and dinner. His room was definitely his hanging spot of preference, so Nari could only do so much to improve their communication. 

She soon laid low, not wanting to come across as pushy to the boy. She was not the first one eager to create bonds, so she settled with the polite and neutral interactions they had over the week. If Kei was not interested in whatever they could talk about or be to each other in the future, then she was no one to force him. 

“Good morning, Nari-chan!”

Aiko was the first one to greet her Monday morning, as bright and happy as always—or at least as Nari had seen so far of her. She entered the kitchen with a smile, fixing the diadem holding back her hair and swiftly putting an apron on. Nari smiled, more at the second-natured action than at the woman, knowing she herself never used aprons when working around the kitchen. 

“Good mornin’.”

“You’re up early,” Aiko said, turning around after getting some mugs from the cupboard closest to her and raising her eyebrows, “are you nervous?”

Nari chuckled airly, sheepishly covering her mouth with the cup in her hands. She took a sip of the coffee she had finally managed to make with Aiko’s coffee machine and thought about what to say.  She  _ was  _ nervous, not too much, but enough to set a tingly sensation on her stomach. She could only describe it as butterflies since it didn’t feel too bad, but the constant tingle had her staring at the ceiling of her room for longer the previous night. Nari hadn't mentioned her almost sleepless nights, and that morning she finally had an excuse—and the guts—to get out of her room when nobody was yet awake, so it was easier to blame the nerves of the first day of school for her extra early appearance.

She looked back at Aiko with a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’m more nervous than I thought I would be.”

Aiko laughed, the coffee machine springing to life and filling the morning silence.

“Don’t worry, you’ll do great,” she cooed, “Kei and Tadashi-kun will be there too, so you won’t be alone.” She turned around again, this time walking towards the table and stopping in front of Nari. “I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends.”

Nari sighed, the smile still plastered across her lips. It was small, but her cheeks were already strained from all the stretching and pressing they had been under throughout the whole week. It made her even happier to  _ be  _ that happy. She wasn’t sad before, but the sweet feeling that kept piling up at such a fast pace made her wonder if she had spent too much time  _ not  _ being truly happy. She was getting attached quickly, and while that was an objectively good thing, she knew that speed always brought fear with it.

People started trickling in soon enough, pulling Nari out of her thoughts. It was still weird for her to have a lively breakfast, but her smile kept growing, washing everything else away. 

She exchanged greetings with the brothers and calmly made her way upstairs to prepare for the day. She had time, and it ticked by as she stared at her new uniform, neatly laid on her bed. 

Aiko had made a huge deal of choosing exactly what she wanted and not messing the sizes up, so the two of them ventured—alone for the first time—into the store where the woman bought Akiteru and Kei's uniforms instead of ordering them through the school. Nari could see how excited Aiko was to finally be able to play dress-up, and so she went along with her youthful antics. 

Nari had managed to get a long-sleeved, cream-colored sweater—barely a single size bigger—and a bow, though she got confirmation that it wasn't strictly necessary for her to wear it every day, so she felt satisfied. She covered her legs with black tights, happy that she could wait until summer to shave. She suddenly felt self-conscious about all those late winter days competing with her father to see who had managed to maintain their legs hairier.

She was definitely keeping that to herself.

Nari took her time to clean up and gather her supplies, knowing that Kei was going to be her guide to school and he was far from ready, but she could do so much to pass time and ended up going back to the kitchen, sketchbook in her hands. Aiko gasped dramatically when she saw her, interrupting herself mid-sip.

“Nari-chan!” she exclaimed, standing up and trotting to her. She laughed giddily, hand flying to cover her mouth while her eyes traveled up and down Nari’s body. She stopped at her face and her clasped hands were lowered to her chest. “You look so cute!”

Nari laughed, awkwardly at first, but soon her lips settled on a tender smile as she glanced down at Aiko, who was back at gushing over the uniform. She bit her lower lip and, feeling bold enough that morning, gave the woman a small twirl, earning herself a delighted squeal. Nari couldn’t help but laugh at Aiko’s over-the-top attitude. It reminded her of the over-joyous reactions her dad would give her when she was younger.

Aiko glanced behind her once she had calmed down, Nari following her actions and turning her head. Kei came down the stairs, looking at them briefly before heading back to the entrance. The females turned to each other again and Aiko smiled, letting Nari follow her son. 

Kei stood up when Nari took a seat to put her shoes on, and her heart thumped loudly—once—at the prospect of the boy leaving her behind, but he only rested his hand on top of the door's handle, silently staring at his phone. Nari breathed calmly again and finished tying her shoes. 

"Have a good day!" Aiko smiled at them from the kitchen's door and Kei opened the door once Nari was on her feet. 

"We're going," he said. 

Nari sent her a wobbly smile and nodded her head, following Kei outside. "Bye," was all she managed to say before closing the door. 

As expected—though Nari had forgotten—Kei's friend waited by the house's fence, smiling at them and bowing at her after a second. Nari bowed as well, adamant to tell him that it wasn't necessary. She decided to talk first and avoid awkward silence right off the bat. 

"Good morning, Yamaguchi–kun," the boy blinked and opened slightly his mouth as if the greeting had not been expected. 

"Ah, good morning…Tsukishima…" his tone slowed down and his eyes bounced between her and Kei. He tilted his head. " _ –san _ ?"

Nari smiled again. 

"Nari’s fine, don't worry."

Yamaguchi visibly struggled for a few seconds, both of them following Kei as he started walking, but he nodded after a very audible gulp. 

"Nari–san" Nari chuckled lightly at the sight of his faintly red-tinted cheeks and elusive eyes. First name basis was not that much of an issue for her, and it seemed like the freckled boy didn't usually cross that line. 

Truly, being called Tsukishima by someone who didn't have the need to—like a teacher—didn't quite settle right with her. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to respond to the name so quickly, as the previous week no-one had used it, and the probability of Kei not wanting to be so obviously related to her in a public setting was rather high. 

She saw no point in lying about it, so she was not going to, but her first name felt more like her current safe place. The one where she still was called Aihara. 

Yamaguchi, even if his shyness sometimes got in the way, did most of the talking during the walk, Nari answering in goodwill as Kei listened to music. 

His friend started asking about the weather, an empty and short small talk bound to end in an instant, but as soon as Nari didn't shut away or seem—too—uncomfortable, the boy's confidence took a step higher, chatting lightly with her. Kei didn't look like the type to engage in lengthy conversations, and Nari was happy to be Yamaguchi's listening ear. 

He was refreshing and cute, and she'll have to paint him. 

  
  
  


_ (Starry-Skied Boy)  _

  
  
  


The spring weather and the sight of the hill they had to climb up to arrive at school made Nari sweat, and she sighed at the thought of walking the same path in summer. The hill was not that steep, but her endurance and physical strength were long gone. Her legs cramped half-way up and she discreetly patted her thighs to avoid losing her footing. 

She swallowed the cough creeping up her throat and made a point to fish her water bottle once she was out of sight. Drinking water after such a mild, exercise-like moment felt like leaving a bad impression. 

She  _ was  _ that out of shape, but her companions didn't have to know. 

Karasuno's main entrance was nothing extravagant, sporting a more relaxed and simple image. Excited and not-so-eager students flailed around, talking to friends as they made their way to the main building. 

Yamaguchi looked around, visibly more nervous than Nari who, influenced by Kei's stone face, managed to conceal it a lot better. She slipped the paper Aiko had given her sometime the past week, where her lock number had been written down, and stood by the side of the door with the boys, both in similar positions. 

She turned to them with a soft smile when she found the second-year lockers. 

"I'm over there," she vaguely signaled with the hand holding the paper, "see ya later. Have a good day." Kei only nodded and Yamaguchi was pulled out of his anxious bubble, confused about her parting but answering nonetheless. 

"You too, Nari-san..." he trailed off as Nari disappeared around her assigned row of lockers, his eyes scanning the plaque above it. "Eh?" He narrowed his sight and turned back to his friend who, as usual, walked ahead of him to find his locker, "Nari-san is a second year?" 

Kei hummed distractedly, "Yeah,"

Yamaguchi's face adopted a comical surprised look, though it leaned towards fear and embarrassment the longer the silence was prolonged. He let a strangled sound leave his mouth, hands flying up to squeeze his cheeks. "I was talking so casually to an  _ upperclassman!" _ he squeaked and Kei lowered his eyes to his—for what felt like the first time that morning—and arched a small eyebrow, indoors shoes already on. 

"I highly doubt she cares," and he turned around, not interested in the topic nor in diving into Nari’s thoughts or whatever Yamaguchi was thinking about. 

His friend was left to hurry behind him after rushedly changing his shoes. Nari’s tall frame disappeared while climbing the stairs on the right side of the entrance, and he walked to the left, heading for his class.

Nari was not a fan of the stairs she would have to climb every day, but there was little she could do about it, and being mad was exhausting enough to make her brush it off and focus on finding her class. Second-year, class four.

Students roamed the hallways, either entering their classes or hanging outside in the hallways. A couple of them glanced at Nari, one of the very few tall females around, and an unknown one at that. She had been as ready as she could have been for possible stares, and for once her heart did not betray her. 

Her class ended up being the last one down the hallway, near another bunch of stairs she wasn't sure where they lead to. A fair amount of her new classmates were already inside, looking for their seats and gathering in groups with those they knew from the previous year. Nari made sure to take in one short deep breath before entering and checking her assigned seat. 

Her table was on the second row from the windows, at the back of the classroom. Being at the back was good enough, so she could say she was satisfied with it. A boy sat on the table glued—not literally, of course—to hers, reading a book in the calmest stance Nari had ever seen any teenage boy do anything. 

She didn't pay much attention to her surroundings back in Osaka, but it was never too late to start.

Nari lifted her chair slightly to not scrap the floor and took a seat, eyes dancing around the room while her hand dug into her bag and took out her water. The boy next to her turned his attention to her when she chugged a large amount of the liquid and Nari couldn't help but smile sheepishly at him once she was done. 

"Hey," she said. 

The boy blinked and smiled back politely. "Hey."

Nari thought he looked more like the 'hello' type of guy, but at least she didn't appear impolite on her first interaction with a classmate. She supposed introductions were in order, but a smiley teacher made his way inside just as the bell chimed its melodic tune, their eyes following him. 

Nari and the boy glanced at each other once more and then turned to the front, focusing on the start of the new school year. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> I hope you enjoyed at least a quarter of what I wrote and you come back for more ✨


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